My People:Yes....Indeed we must look to PMB's first full-year budget of 2016, to know the initial seriousness of his administration's intentions. Then its implementation would be the taste of the pudding.....Quote
I am looking forward to the 2016 BUDGET – it will give an indication of the true direction of PMB's ECONOMIC POLICY. I expect (1) removal of subsidy (2) conditional cash transfer (3) massive infrastructural development coupled with work corps (4) agricultural incentives with low-interest-rate loans, (5) a better balance between recurrent and capital expenditures (6) a quadrupling of the budget quantum etc. - Sunday Musings
UnquoteAnd there you have it.....Bolaji Aluko
Buhari govt. will 'fire from all cylinders in next few days' – Lai Mohammed
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has assured Nigerians of better times ahead, saying they will soon get the change they voted for.
"This Government will not give excuses. The painstaking and methodical approach by the Buhari Administration, its deep analysis and understanding of the challenges and the recent inauguration of the cabinet will herald a new dawn," the Minister said at a meeting with representatives of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that in the next few days, the administration "will start firing from all cylinders, starting with the unveiling of the 2016 budget".
"Nigerians will witness measurable and impactful progress in all spheres of governance. We shall not abandon our social intervention policies such as one meal a day for school children and the payment of 5,000 Naira each to vulnerable Nigerians. We are committed to lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty," Mr. Mohammed said.
On how the administration will fund its programmes, in view of the drastic fall in the price of crude oil, the Minister said it would be through the diversification of the economy, plugging of leakages as well as exploiting and widening the country's tax base without necessarily raising taxes.
"A comparative analysis between Nigeria and South Africa will drive the point home. In 2013, with a population of 160 million and GDP of $510 billion, Nigeria collected $30 billion in taxes, whereas South Africa, with a population of 54 million and GDP of $366 billion, collected $74 billion in taxes.
"In 2014, Nigeria, with a population of 170 million and GDP of $535 billion, collected $26 billion, while South Africa, with a GDP of $350 billion and population of 54 million, raked in $70 billion. From the figures, it is obvious that if only we can widen our tax base, we do not need to raise taxes to increase our tax revenue," he said
The Minister commended the CSOs for the role they played during the last general elections, saying the organizations, especially those grouped under the Situation Room, contributed hugely to the success of the polls.
He said the Buhari Administration will carry the Civil Society along in its efforts to change, for the better, the country's fortunes.
"That is why we have started our engagement with you this early. Therefore, this will be the first in a series of engagements with the Civil Society. We see you as credible, and we see you as patriots, who are genuinely interested in the welfare of the people," the Minister said.
In his speech on behalf of The Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo urged the Federal Government to tackle growing national issues with the urgency that it deserves.
"Expectations are very high amongst Nigerians for the changes promised by General Buhari during the campaigns. The need to deliver on campaign promises is against the background of the complete lack of public trust in government and its institutions," he said.
Mr. Nwankwo listed "urgent symbolic steps and quick wins" to be urgently implemented by the government as including transparency and openness of loot recovered from officials of the immediate past regime, openness of the national budget, sale of some of the presidential jets, zero tolerance for impunity and the probe of the FCDA land swap.
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SUNDAY MUSING: PMB @ SIX MONTHS: MY SCORE-CARD
By
Mobolaji E. Aluko. PhD
November 29, 2015
TABLE 1: A Score-card of PMB at Six Months
S/N
Item
Date(s)
Remarks
Grade
Basis
What is there left to be done?
1
Ascension to Presidency by Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and Vice-Presidency by Yemi Osibajo (VYO)
May 29, 2015
Preached "Change", he "belong(s) to everybody and to nobody" in particular…..
A
Free-and-Fair election; Goodluck Jonathan handed over peacefully
Focus on mandate delivery in the next three-and-a-half years
2
Filled Various Administration Positions that don't require Senate Approval (SGF, etc.)
Various dates
Criticisms of ethnic unfairness, etc.
A
Has a right to choose these officials; within his constitutional limits.
"6,000" more positions yet to be filled…
3
Filled Ministerial positions (36 in 25 Ministries)
Various dates
Some portfolios were surprising, but all in all competent hands, but will they succeed in present positions? (see Table 2)
B+
Fashola, Fayemi, Ngige, Audu, Amaechi, Udo Udoma…these are proven performers…the taste of the pudding will be in the eating
Ensure that each minister and ministry fit into the three-point agenda of Security, Anti-Corruption and Employment, with growing an INCLUSIVE ECONOMY as the over-arching ambition, not just INDICIAL DEVELOPMENT
4
Security
Various
Chose physically-fit and performing Heads of Military service branches; offensive strategy; increased morale, equipment, intelligence and information. Gave a target deadline for eliminating Boko Haram; degraded, but not fully yet
Regional and international collaboration on cross-border security matters
B+
Whole tracts of land have been recovered from BH, and many IDPs are returning to their homes. However bombings continue – to be expected of insurgencies of this type
Pressing on with the offensive strategy
Looking out for security challenges elsewhere in the country (SE, SS), using lessons learnt in previous instances to stem further conflagration
Establish state and community policing in the shortest possible time
5
Anti-Corruption
Various
Initial focus on stemming corruption in Federal public service, in conjunction with its interface with the private sector (particularly oil and gas, as well as agriculture and insurance)
Enforcement of Treasury Single Action, Bank Verification Number (BVN) and the banning of payment of foreign currency (cash) into Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) inside Nigeria.
Re-energizing EFCC and ICPC, and going after loot recovery, both at home and abroad
A-
These are far reaching steps, that may not yield all fruits right away, but in time, I am absolutely confident that they will.
Asset Declaration by all public officials should be accessible to all registered NGOs who have "right-to-know"
Amend Section 308 of Constitution to enable criminal prosecution of Executives at Federal, State and Local Government levels.
Institute absolute zero tolerance for bribery and corruption among (1) the Police and (2) Judges…zero tolerance…even a hint of it.
6
Employment
Various
PMB has identified ECONOMY DIVERSIFICATION – in non-oil sectors such as solid minerals, agriculture, culture and tourism, infrastructure and service industries – as the key to increasing employment, both on the short run and the long-run
B
Our oil economy has tanked, unlikely to recover any time soon…..yet we still have oil than most countries in the workd, and also have 1 million square kilometers of fertile and God-endowed land, sea and air….Competent ministers have been placed to guide these vital sectors
I am looking forward to the 2016 BUDGET – it will give an indication of the true direction of PMB's ECONOMIC POLICY. I expect (1) removal of subsidy (2) conditional cash transfer (3) massive infrastructural development coupled with work corps (4) agricultural incentives with low-interest-rate loans, (5) a better balance between recurrent and capital expenditures (6) a quadrupling of the budget quantum etc.
7
OVERALL GRADE
A-
Table 2: PMB and His Ministers – My Charge to Them
S/N
Zone
S/N
S/N
States
Minister
Portfolio
My Charge
A
North-West
A
A
Katsina
Muhammadu Buhari
President & "Prime Minister"
All buck stops at his desk as the only elected "Minister"; all blame on him, all praise to his team
B
South-West
B
B
Ogun
Yemi Osinbajo
Vice-President & "Deputy PM"
Ditto – Economy matters in particular, as Chair of NEC
1
South-West
1
1
Ekiti
Kayode Fayemi
Solid Minerals
Diversify, diversify, diversify the economy; there is solid mineral of commercial value in each state, unlike liquid mineral (oil)
2
2
Lagos
Babatunde Fashola
Power, Works & Housing
As "Infrastructure" Minister, Ensure Reliable power, good roads, affordable housing
3
3
Ogun
Kemi Adeosun
Finance
Manage our money better, re-balance our capital and recurrent expenditures; balance our budget
4
4
Ondo
Claudius Daramola
Niger-Delta (State)
Enrich, empower, employ the Golden Goose area that lays the national egg
5
5
Osun
Isaac Adewole
Health
Strengthen the national health system, particularly health insurance and primary health care
6
6
Oyo
Adebayo Shittu
Communications
Strengthen our national communication system (postal, tele- and other electronic), remove customer exploitation
2
South-East
7
1
Abia
Okechukwu Enelamah
Industry, Trade & Investment
Enlarge our national industrial base, seek international markets for our goods, increase FDI
8
2
Anambra
Chris Ngige
Labour & Employment
Increase employment, reduce labor tensions
9
3
Ebonyi
Ogbonnaya Onu
Science & Technology
Deploy 21st Century S&T in all ramifications, including in education delivery
10
4
Enugu
Geoffrey Onyeama
Foreign Affairs
Complement our domestic policy in economy, education, security and anti-corruption; engage our Diaspora more positively
11
5
Imo
Anthony Anwuka
Education (State)
Lift education standards, increase access, including for the girl-child
3
South-South
12
1
Akwa-Ibom
Udoma Udo Udoma
Budget & National Planning
Re-balance capital and recurrent budgets, and offer quality evidence-based planning
13
2
Bayelsa
Heineken Lokpobiri
Agriculture & Rural Development (State)
Diversify our economy, feed the nation, increase employment, reduce urban drift
`4
3
Cross-River
Usani Uguru
Niger-Delta Affairs
Enrich, empower, employ the Golden Goose area that lays the national egg
15
4
Delta
Ibe Kachikwu
Petroleum Resources (State)
Manage our main resource better, reduce corruption in the industry, enlarge the value chain
16
5
Edo
Osagie Ehanire
Health (State)
Strengthen the national health system, particularly health insurance and primary health care
17
6
Rivers
Rotimi Amaechi
Transportation
Build a national integrated transportation network of land (road and rail), sea and air; improve air service nationwide (including at Port Harcourt Airport)
4
North-West
18
1
Jigawa
Suleiman Adamu
Water Resources
Water is life; enliven the nation for food, transportation and industry
19
2
Kebbi
Abubakar Malami
Justice
No justice, no peace - Ensure peace through justice; Justice delayed is justice denied – ensure timely justice. Pursue corruption without fair or favor
20
3
Kaduna
Zainab Ahmed
Budget & National Planning (State)
Re-balance capital and recurrent budgets, and offer quality evidence-based planning
21
4
Katsina
Hadi Sirika
Transportaion (Aviation, State)
Build a national integrated transportation network of land (road and rail), sea and air; improve air service nationwide (including at Port Harcourt Airport)
22
5
Kano
Abdulrahman Danbazzau
Interior
Police our nation within its borders; democratize police operations through establishment of state and community policing
23
6
Sokoto
Aisha Abubakar
Industry, Trade & Investment (State)
Enlarge our national industrial base, seek international markets for our goods, increase FDI
24
7
Zamfara
Muhammad Dan Ali
Defence
Protect our territorial integrity; crush insurgency of all types
5
North-East
25
1
Adamawa
Muhammodu Bello
Federal Capital Territory
Improve Abuja as national capital, and as a model for state capitals and local government headquarters
26
2
Bauchi
Adamu Adamu
Education
Lift education standards, increase access, including for the girl-child
27
3
Borno
Mustapha Baba Shehuri
Power, Works & Housing (State)
Ensure Reliable power, good roads, affordable housing
28
4
Gombe
Amina Mohammed
Environment
Make our country "green", ensure attainment of relevant sustainable development goals (SDGs)
29
5
Taraba
Aisha Alhassan
Women Affairs
Lift our women, unleash their energy into the economy, remove all cultural and religious exploitation
30
6
Yobe
Khadija Abubakar Abba Ibrahim
Foreign Affairs (State)
Complement our domestic policy in economy, education, security and anti-corruption; engage our Diaspora more positively
6
North-Central
31
1
Benue
Audu Ogbeh
Agriculture & Rural Development
Diversify our economy, feed the nation, increase employment, reduce urban drift
32
2
Kogi
James Ocholi, SAN
Labour & Employment (State)
Increase employment, reduce labor tensions
33
3
Kwara
Lai Mohammed
Information
Inform the nation about government business, banish ignorance, shed light into darkness
34
4
Niger
Abubakar Bwari
Solid Minerals (State)
Diversify, diversity, diversity the economy; there is solid mineral in each state, unlike liquid mineral (oil)
35
5
Nasarawa
Ibrahim Usman Jubril
Environment (State)
Make our country "green", ensure attainable of relevant sustainable development goals
36
6
Plateau
Solomon Dalong
Youth & Sports
Give hope to the Youth, train their minds, enlarge broad sports participation nationwide, and curb strife in national sports administration
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